Improvement in railroad-switches



J. L. ARMS" RAILROAD-SWITCH. No, 169,610. Patented 1lov.9,187'6.

NPETERS, PHDTO-LITHDGRAPHEIL WASHINGTON, Dv c,

branching therefrom. rails, by which the cars are turned from the UNITEDSTATES JOHN L. ARMS, OF NEW ORLEANS, LA., ASSIGNOR OF PART OF HIS RIGHTPATENT OFFICE.

TO GRANVILLE R. OBER AND WILLIAM H. RENAUD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAlLROAD-SWlTCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 169,610, datedNovember 9, 1875 application filed September 14, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN L. ARMS, a resident of the city of New Orleansand State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Railroad-Switch; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and correct description of the same, reference beinghad to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification.

Myinvention-as hereinafter described, and as illustrated by the annexeddrawing, to which reference has already been madeis designed to be animprovement upon my railroad-switch for which Letters Patent of theUnited States were granted to me February 22, 1870, and is intended tobe operated either from a railroad car or train, or by means of a leveror target-stall", in the ordinary manner.

My present improvement consists of an arrangement of mechanical parts,which will be much more clearly understood by referring to the drawing,on which- Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of a railroad providedwith mytinventiou. Fig. 2 represents a side view of the same; Fig. 3, across-section through the line 0am,- and Fig. 4, a device by means ofwhich the switch may be operated from a railroad-car.

Similar letters in each figure indicate corresponding parts.

A A represent the rails of a straight or con-' tinuous road, and B B therails of a road 0 0 show the switch main to the branch road. These railsare pivoted at their inner ends in the usual manner, while their outeror movable ends are connected by a switch-bar, D, the lower edge ofwhich is provided with a couple of locking devices, to prevent the railsbeing misplaced by concussion of passing trains. 'The locks consist eachof an M, or nearly so, shaped slot, the sides of which terminate at thelower edge of the bar D. The central point of the M is somewhatshortened and rounded, so as to permit it to ride freely over a smallfriction-roller operating on the pin a, that is secured to the side ofthe cross-tie or plate over which the ends of the switch-rails move.

' be drawn inunder the body of the car.

From the peculiar shapeof the slots just described it will be seen thatin each movement of the switch-rails back and forth they are necessarilyraised as the center portion of the slot passes over the pin a, and thatas the rails are brought to their desired locations they are graduallylowered, until th e pins, or, rather, their friction-wheels, rest in theuppercorners of the slots, and the ends of the rails have a solidbearing upon the cross-tie or plate E. The inner end of the bar D isconnected by a link, a, to the end 6 of a bell-crank, F, and from thesaid end of bell-crank, by a second link, I), to the lower end of thetarget-stafiG, operating in the target-frame H. Upon each side of thesaid frame H, and at any desired distance therefrom, is erected, nearthe inner rail, the knee-levers I I K K, the shafts c c of which have arocking motion in the jour- Hal-boxes L L. The lower side of thekneelevers is provided with lugs, (shown in dotted i lines,) to whichare secured the rods 0 0, forming a connection between the said leversand the bell-crank F. To the ends of the knee-levers are pivoted, asshown, levers I I, the lower ends of which slide in stirrup-supports l 23 4. The object of these levers; will be presently described.

In order that the switch-rails may be operated from a train of cars, theengine and rear car should each be provided with a sliding shaft, 1?,upon the end of which is secured a friction-wheel, p. This shaft isoperated by a pivoted lever, so that, when not in use, it may Onapproaching a switch it is moved outward, so that its friction-wheel maybe brought in contact with the nearest knee-lever, the inclined leversof which relieve it from any sudden jar or shocI-z. 'As the car passesby the said kneelevers the friction'roller of the slide acts to depressthem, and thereby moves the switchrails through the interposition of thebellcrank F and its immediate connecting rods or links.

All points of friction should be provided with friction-wheels, in orderto render the op eration of the switch much more easy.

My improved arrangement for operating railway-switches maybe appliedupon one or claim as new and desire to secure by Letters both sides ofarailway, as may bexdesired, ei- Patent, is-

I froinmunning off the track. The knee-levers for t-hepurpose specified.Y above described are placed so that trains apj ther being acted on atthe discretion of the The arrangement of the knee-levers I I K operator,who can cause a misplaced switch to K, bell-crank F, connecting-rods Oand links be thrown into, line, and. thus prevent the trains at b. withthe switch-bar D, as described, and

Y J. L, ARMS, 1 preaching: the switch from either direction Witnesses:may readily operate the same. i G. R. OBER,

Having described my invention, what -I H. N. JENKINS.

